Manually-controlled vehicle



April 2, 1929. I T, B, KEOGH 1,707,618

v MANUALLY CONTROLLED VEHICLE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 Ufff@ I 7M 5 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 2,

- UNITEnjVcJSiTATEs v THOMAS B.v 'KEoGrL orv NEW'YORK, N. Y. f

ivIANUAimY'-ooiv'raom.En VEHICLE.

Application mea February as, 1928.* serial LNo, 256,121;

This invention relates to vehicles, and particularly tothree-wheeled vehicles, operatable manually, and the objectof the invention consists inthe vprovision-of avehicle of what'might ybe termed thesee-saw type,

wherein the manualy and mechanical recipe? rocation vof a pivot beam or seatmember will operate to propel the vehicle over a roadway,

said seat member being;y in operative connection with the drive wheel or wheels of ther turning of the vehicle within avery small.l radius, or a radius substantially equal to the length of the vehicle; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in an apparatus of the 'class and for the purj y p on supporter foot plates 27V projecting at pose` specified, which is simple in-construhction and operatlomeicient 1n use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. Y

The invention Vis fully disclosed in the fol- In practice, l provide a frame 5 made from rods, tubing or likematerial, said frame y comprising side membersrG, a front crosshead 7 havingprojecting bearings 8 for a steer-- ing` shaft 9, said shaft controlling a steering wheel 10, and being rOperated by a 'handle bar 12 at theupper end thereof, which'end.

is preferably curved as seen at`13 to extend over the frame 5. The side members 6 of the frame at the rear end thereof are iiaredl outwardly and extend backwardly and the ends terminate in bearings 111 for a crankshaft 15 .havingthree cranks 1G, 17 and 18thecranks y seatmember.

16 and 18 being in axial alinement, whilethe c1ank'17`1sarranged-at anjangle to the first named cranks. Pivot'ally mounted *in convrniection withthe upper end portionk of the Vtraine /5 or, the 'side members/6 vvthereofL as seen at 19 1s' a see-saw board orseat mem' ber 20, the free endv of which extends backi `Wardly and over the frame' in substantially horizontalposition and pivoted to. the rear and free end of theseat" member'Q'O is a connecting r0d'21 which is mounted upon the crank 17 whereby the verticalreciprocation of the seat member 20 on the. pivot 19"wil1 operate to lrotatethe crank shaft 15 and c orrespcndi'ngly rotate lthe two drive wheels 22`1'i'1ou'nted'in connection with the free ends of said crank shaft 15. v

l Pivotally mounted in connection with the. lend face of the seat member 20are-two rods 23lwhich also pass through a rotatable bear-` fing 24 transversing the frame as rseen in Fig; Y3 ofthe drawing and are slidably mounted therein. f Mounted on Saidrods between the bearingf241 andthe forked andjpivo'ted endsv 25 thereof are springs 26 which are adaptedA -to raise the seat member 20 or aid in this operation when the vehicle is operated, itbeing understood that the operator places his feet the `oppositesides ofthe `frame'or the side members 6 thereof, and in initially starting the vehicle, raises the body olf from the seat 'member 2O and then places his weight upon the seat member, whichoperation is repeated until the momentum of the vehiclev has started sufficiently to permit of its operation byv simplyV see-sawingV up To facilitate carrying the crank `shaft-15 *over what might be termed a dead center position, I provide a rod .28` one end of which is forked and the separatemembers 29 formed c by the forked end are [mounted upon'the 'cranks 16 and 18, and the rod 28 "passes thus facilitating the steeringv of thefvehicle. vvor turning thereof in a comparatively small.

space, and whilerthevehicle is primarily designed'` for `use by children, -itf'will be 'unto' vf and down upon the derstood that any use of a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention, may be made, and it will also be apparent that I am not necessarily limited to the specific construction herein shown and described, and various changes therein and modilications thereof may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what c l claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is e l. A vehicle of the class described comprising` a frame, wheels supported in connection with the frame and jiermitting the free movement of the vehicle over a roadway, driving, means for one or more of said wheels, a reciprocating seat member on said frame, means for coupling the seat member with said driving means to propel the vehicle, tensional means for moving the seat member in one direction and means operating direcly upon said driving means and independent of said seat member to aid in propelling the vehicle.

2. A vehicle of the class described comprising a frame, wheels supported in connection with the frameand permitting the free movement of thevehicle over a roadway, driving means for one or more of said wheels, a reciprocating seat member onsaid frame, means for coupling the seat member with said drivinp; means to propel the vehicle, tensional means for movingthe seat member in one direction, means operating directly upon said driving` means and independent of said seaty member to aid in propelling the Vehicle, and said last named means operating` in a plane substantially at right angles to said first named means.

3. A vehicle of the class described comprising a frame, a steering wheel supported in connection with the front end of thc frame, a crank shaft supported in connection with the lrear end of the frame, driving' wheels on said shaft, a seat member, one end of which is pivotally mounted in connection with the frame, stationary foot rests on said frame, means for couplingthe free ond of the seat memberwith a crank of said crank shaft whereby an operator whose feet are supported upon the foot rests may reciprocate the seat member to propel thevehicle ovei` a roadway by applying his weight to said seat niember to move the same downwardly andby supporting his weight on the footrests inthe upward movement of the seat member, tensional means for moving the seat member upwardly, and tensional means cooperatingr with another crank of said crank shaft to aid inrpropelling the vehicle during the upward movement of the seat member.

4. A vehicle of theclass described comprising a frame, asteering wheel supported in connection with the front end of the frame,

a crank shaft supported in connection with Sii seat member, tensional means for moving the seat member upwardly, tensional' means cooperating` with another crank of said crank shaft to aid in propellingV the vehicle during` the upward movement or the seat member, and said last named tensional means being supported in connection with the frame and operating` in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of operation of thetirst named means. A'

5. A vehicle of the class described comprising a substantially V-shaped frame when viewed in elevation and consisting of a bottom framemomber a top framemember oi... ingthe bottom frame member at the rear of the vehicle and extending' `upwardly* and forwardly, and a vertical frame member joining the forward ends of the top and bottom frame members, a

steering wheel supported in connection with Y the'front end of the frame, a seat member pivoted to the upper forward end of the frame and ext-ending` rearwardly insubstantially a horizontal plane, the rear end of the. seat member having a depending crank rijd, a crank shaft mounted in the rear endA of the frame and saidcrank rod beingI coupled with one of the cranks of saidcrank shaft, and drive wheels mounted upon said crank shaft and operated ythrough Ythe rotation of said crank. y f

6. A vehicle of the class described comprisingr a substantially V-shaped frame when viewed in elevation and consisting of a bottom frame member, a top f1 `me men'iber oining the bottom frame meunier at the rear of the vehicle and cxtendinij mpwardlyand ffii'- ni'ardly, and a .vertical frame member joining the forward ends of the top and botto i frame members. a steeri.` wheei supper in connection with the fr end of the fr 'i a s; it member pivoted the upper forward end of the frame and extending' rearwardly in substantially a horizontal plane, the rear end of the seat member hav-ing a depending crank rod, a crank vshaft mounted in the rear end of the frame and said crank rod being coupled 'with one` of the cranks of said crank shaft, drive wheels mounted upon said crankshaft and operated throughthe rotation of said crank, 'a spring actuated crank rod supported liu CII

in connection with the lower frame member and having a forked end portion and the separate members of which are coupled with two other cranks of the crank shaft arranged angularly with reference tothe first named crank of .said shaft.

7. A vehicle of the classfdescribed comprising a substantially V-shaped frame when plane, the rear end of the seat memberhav-'f ing a depending crank rod, a crank shaft mounted in the rear end of the frameand said crank rod being coupled with one of the cranks of'saidcrank shaft, drive wheelsr mounted upon said crank shaft and operated through the rotation of said crank, a spring actuated crank rodsupported in connectionl with thelower frame member land having a forked end portion, the separate members of which are coupled with two other cranks of the crank shaft arranged angularly with reference to the first named crank of said shaft and two spring members supported upon guide rods slidablyA engaging the upwardly inclined top frame member and pivotally coupled to the seat member for moving the seat member in an upwarddirection and to aid in the propulsion of the drive wheels. j. 8. A vehicle of the class described comprising a substantially V-shaped frame when viewed in elevation and consisting of a bottom frame member, a top frame member joining the bottom frame member at the rear of the vehicle and extending .upwardly and forwardly, and a vertical frame member oining `the forward ends of the 'top and bottomframe members, a steering wheelsupported in connection Awith the front end of the frame, a seat member pivoted to the upper forward end/of the frame and extending rearwardly in substantially a horizontal plane, the rear end of the seat member having a depending crank rod, a crank shaft mounted in. the rear end of the frame and said crank rod being coupled with one of the cranks of said crank shaft, drive wheels mounted upon said crank shaft'and operated through the rotation of said crank, a spring actuated crank rod supported in connection with the lower frame member and having a forked end portion, the separate members of which are coupled 'with two other cranks of the crank shaft ar# ranged angularly with reference to the first named crank of said shaft, two spring members supported upon guide rodsslidably en# gaging the upwardly, vinclined top frame member and pivotally coupled to the seat member for moving the seat member in an upward direction and to aid in the propullsion of the drive wheels, and said frame being tubular in form and-consisting of similar side portions.

9. In a wheeled' vehicle, a propelling means for the drive .wheels of said vehicle comprisingacrank shaft having a plurality of angularly disposed cranks, av manually operated crank rod operatively engaging one of the cranks of said shaft,'and automatically actuated means operatively engaging another crank of said shaft disposed .angularly with reference to the first named crank.

Y l0. In a Wheeled vehicle, a vpropelling l vmeans for the drive wheels of said 'vehicle comprising a crank shaft having a pluralityr of angularly disposedcranks, a manually operated crankrod operatively engaging; one of the cranks of said shaft, automatically actuated means operatively engaging another crank of said shaft disposed. angularly with rofl angularly disposed cranks, manually operated meansoperatively engaging one of thecranks of said shaft, automatically actuated means opertively engaging another crank of said shaft disposed angularly with reference to the first named crank, said last` named meansinvolving a spring actuated rod,` and tensional means cooperatingwith said manually operated means for movingv the same in one-direction. f

In testimony that I claim theforcgoing as .my invention I have signed my fname this 15th day of February, 1928.

. f rnoinis B. .KnoGii 

